The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, in consultation with fire agencies and other public safety officials, has announced that effective immediately (10:30 a.m. today, March 13), Mandatory Evacuation Orders are lifted for all areas.

The National Weather Service has advised that critical rain rates did not materialize over the area as expected. Showers are expected through the afternoon and into the evening hours, however, they are not anticipated to reach critical levels to cause debris flow.

This is the first of several weather systems expected to move through the Santa Barbara south coast over the next week. Each of these systems will be monitored and evaluated and the public will be informed of any changes. At this time, none of these systems appear to be a threat of causing debris flows. We would like to thank the public for their swift cooperation and collaboration towards keeping our community safe.

The County’s interactive evacuation map will be updated today to reflect changes made to evacuation orders. Please visit ReadySBC.org to access the interactive evacuation map or call the Public Information Call Center at 833-688-5551 for assistance.

If evacuated residents who are returning to their residences have a need for wheelchair or other specialized transport needs, call Easy Lift at 805-681-1180.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, in consultation with National Weather Service and other public safety officials, has issued a Mandatory Evacuation Order effective today (Monday) for individuals in Extreme Risk (red) areas near the Thomas, Sherpa, and Whittier burn areas due to a rapidly approaching winter storm. Individuals must be out of the evacuation area by 8 p.m. tonight.

Those in High Risk (yellow) areas not under mandatory evacuation order, however, are under Recommended Evacuation Warning and are at risk for flooding or being cut off from services and utilities. People with access and functional needs or large animals living in High Risk (yellow) areas should consider immediate evacuation.

Updated meteorlogical models by the National Weather Service indicate that there now is a potential for rainfall to exceed the 0.5 inch per hour threshold that triggers debris flows tomorrow morning at daylight.

People in Extreme Risk (red) areas are required to evacuate. Officials will return individuals to their homes as soon as it is safe to do so. To determine if a residence or business is in the Extreme Risk Area, consult the evacuation boundaries map at ReadySBC.org.

Red Cross has established an evacuation center at Goleta Valley Community Center, 5679 Hollister Avenue, Goleta, CA 93117. Anyone evacuated or otherwise affected by the approaching storm is welcome to find relief and comfort at this location. For assistance evacuating large and small animals, contact Santa Barbara County Animal Services hotline at 805-681-4332.

According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown, “The National Weather Service has informed us that the approaching storm is of greater intensity than was previously anticipated. The rate of rainfall is predicted to meet or exceed the threshold level that could trigger debris flows.”

The California Highway Patrol (CHP), the National Weather Service and public safety partners will monitor storm activity to ensure Highway 101 remains open to facilitate resident evacuations. If Highway 101 needs to be closed, CHP would do so just prior to the arrival of the intense portion of the storm. Bands of rain, timing and intensity will guide this decision. Closure information will be communicated broadly to the public as decisions are made. Community members should go to ReadySBC.org for up-to-date information on evacuations and road closures. As this storm is expected to arrive during morning rush hour. Please consider altering your travel and commuting plans.

The interactive map was updated on Saturday, March 10 with changes affecting the Carpinteria community. Residents in this area should consult the map to determine the current status of this area.

So far so good. The precipitation map for the county shows only a couple tenths of accumulation on the ridges behind town. The 8km animated IR shows the main band shifting a little to the east, so it looks like no direct hit for us. Periodically check the Vandenberg Doppler.

Keep track of the storm's progress and intensity on the many weather links in the Internet Resources for Natural Phenomena Affecting SB at SBitZ.net. These links take you directly to sources of information so you can inform yourself. The 8km animated map is quite instructive because it shows how the bands of the precipitation are being spun up to us from the SW by counter clockwise system sitting off of Northern California and Southern Oregon. If this shifts and the bands from directly from the south, then an Orographic rain event may occur. Be safe everyone, especially if you in a denuded water shed.